DAVID GREENE, Host:
This is Weekend Edition from NPR News. I'm David Greene. Israel is warning residents of the Gaza Strip that its military offensive against Hamas may soon enter a new, more intense phase. The warning came as cease-fire talks in neighboring Egypt made little apparent headway. And a senior Hamas official said any hope of compromise with Israel was dead. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Cairo.
PETER KENYON: Some negotiators have proposed an international force to monitor the border crossings, but Egypt flatly refused to host foreign troops on its soil. It prefers more technical assistance of the type provided by the U.S. last year to help it locate and close smuggling tunnels. Abbas suggested international troops be placed inside Gaza, but that was quickly rejected by Hamas. Meanwhile, Hamas's top political official, Khaled Meshaal, delivered a defiant speech from Damascus in which he said the Israeli assault on Gaza had accomplished nothing, except killing off any hope of peace talks.
M: (Through Translator) You have put an end to any prospect of compromise. No Arab or Palestinian official will be able to promote compromise with you anymore.
KENYON: It's not clear if Meshaal's exhortations for Palestinians to keep fighting, delivered from the safety of Damascus, will inspire Gaza residents. As heavy fighting was reported in the suburbs of Gaza City, many fear that the worst is yet to come. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Cairo.